Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Nenek in Rembau

The road trip from Perth to Port Hedland and back to Perth did not only bring closer an existing camaraderie between close friends, but also created a new friendship between the Malaysians and the Malay community in South Hedland. One of our new friends is Nenek Maznah. She is a single mother, who decided to remain in Australia with all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren residing in Malaysia. Almost 70, she works as a cleaner for four hours a day, a newspaper vendor, and a curry puff & chicken wing supplier, despite earning sufficient pension as Australian aged permanent resident. A spirited persona, she is.

She has been back in Malaysia from mid July. In fact, she is back as often as thrice a year, staying for as long as three months. My parents and another couple from Rembau visited her place in Mantin last week. During the weekend, my father fetched her from Kampung Gebok for a little gathering in Kampung Berkat. Even the rest of our close friends who were not in the road trip came to meet her, after being introduced to her personality from our stories. She charmed them like she charmed us.

Man contributed three gigantic mutton portions, barbecued to perfection by Rahsid and his team. Farid, meanwhile, was the earliest to arrive to prepare drinks and assist with the nitty gritty. The women begged Nenek Maznah for her signature curry puff recipe. She asked whether the ingredients were in my mother's kitchen. Reza immediately drove to the town, accompanied by Rahimah, to buy other ingredients that were not available in the kitchen. Those from Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang arrived just in time for hot curry puffs.

Kamal and I drove Nenek to Mantin after Asar. When everyone bade farewell, she cried. Thank you, Nenek, for sparing your time for us. How we wished you could stay back for congregational Maghrib prayer and zikr later, but we understood your responsibility to prepare traditional desserts for a family gathering. We hope to see you and the rest of South Hedland friends again, soon. Kembara Western Australia photo book, produced by Feelgoodfoto, as ole-ole for all of them there.

Tuty, I'll e-mail you the recipe once I have a new WiFi modem, thus more time online at home. However, I think the filling could use more flavours :). Maybe she lessens the ingredients because she sells the curry puffs.